In this workshop I will first convey how I approach a scene by listening for my position in the scene. Listening in improv, and in life, is more than just a sense, it’s a trainable skill. The first ten seconds of a scene can tell you your position in that scene and what kind of scene you are in. I will be covering what I consider to be the three primary scene types. Knowing the type of scene you are in and your position in that scene focuses your invention and makes scene-play relatively easy. Most scenes that go bad go bad in the first ten seconds. Lets fix that! I will explain what to listen for and what to do with what you’ve heard.

Miles Stroth

began his study of improvisation back in the Fall of 1989, auditioning for, and being accepted by the famed Second City Theater in Chicago. Two years and a t-shirt later(you get a t-shirt when you finish the Second City program), Miles began his study of improvisation for real when he started taking classes with Charna Halpern and Del Close at the then ImprovOlympic, now IO in Chicago. Miles has been associated with the IO, teaching, performing, directing, ever since.

Miles was a member of the seminal improv team The Family, whose members included Adam Mckay, Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, Niel Flynn and Ali Faranahkian. The Family, directed by Del Close, created and introduced into the improv world The Deconstruction and The Movie forms. Miles had the privilege of working with the late Del Close for eight years. Del saw the improv community as a tribe with himself as the Mojo Man and referred to Miles as his Warchief.

Miles has performed in well over 1000 long-form shows and has created or had a hand in creating many of the long-forms that play around the country today. Among them, The Armando, The Deconstruction, The Movie, The Lerand and Two-Person Long-Form. Among the improv shows, Three Mad Rituals, Dynamite Fun Nest, The Armando Diaz Theatrical Experience, Movement and Hootenanny, Zumpf, Assscat, Heather and Miles and Mud. Theatrical credits include, The Eight Reindeer Monologues, Hamlet! The Musical and Little with The Actors Gang in Los Angeles. Miles was the national touring alternate for Robert Dubac’s one man show, The Male Intellect: an oxymoron. Miles has appeared on Comedy Central’s Crossballs and RENO 911.